July 11, 2015

Race report -- Bring on the Bay

July 11, 2015
3k swim
1:14:39 (38/56 AG)

Beautiful morning for a swim
Another first crossed off the list! This was my first time tackling the Bring on the Bay open water swim, spanning 3 km between Nepean Sailing Club and Britannia Yacht Club. A day after a 2+ hr bike ride, and a day before racing at Sydenham, my main goal was to get in a solid long swim training session and have a good time. I seeded myself around 70 minutes, which scored me a nifty green swim cap and a comfortable spot in the rolling start off the dinghy dock. As soon as we hit the channel leaving the harbour, it became immediately apparent that it might be a better day for sailing than for swimming. Most attempts to sight ahead ended in getting slapped in the face with a wave. Trying to breathe to the left on the northward leg yielded a similar result. 

Thankfully, the choppy water conditions were more than made up for by a) my wetsuit enabling me to bob like a cork, b) large sailboats anchored every 100m that were pretty hard to miss, and c) 650 other people heading the same direction. You figure most of them probably know where they're going. There was also a fellow on a stand-up paddleboard corralling us into a pretty narrow lane on the outbound leg. 

Once we turned eastward it was easier going, and a straight shot to the ladders at BYC. Because of the rough water, it was tricky to draft without making contact. Consequently, I ended up swimming more of the course solo than I intended. I felt good throughout though, and while I kicked it up a notch over a few short stretches, I kept most of the effort at a steady simmer to keep something in reserve for my tri race tomorrow.

The most fun of the morning was post-race breakfast at Cora's with a gaggle of folks from the OTC. Yeah, food! Only triathletes would discuss the best remedy for ingested river water over a big plate of eggs and toast. If you're interested, yogurt, probiotics, and Coca-Cola were at the top of the list. Hey, if it takes rust off a nail, I'm sure those bacteria don't stand a chance, right?

Post-event breakfast with OTCers

...where shenanigans inevitably ensue

Goofy and slightly waterlogged



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